Dutch star Suzanne Schulting makes history at Dordrecht Worlds
Schulting is the second woman to sweep the board at a short track World Championships, as Shaoang Liu took the men's overall title.
Short Track Speed Skating
The 2021 Short Track Speed Skating World Championships was all about Suzanne Schulting.
On Sunday (7 March), she won two more individual events - the 1000m and 3000m Superfinal - and anchored the Dutch women to a first 3000m relay success to complete her dominance of the event.
It was an historic achievement for PyeongChang 2018 1000m gold medallist Schulting who is just the second woman to win every event at a short track World Championships.
Canada's Sylvie Daigle was the first to do it in 1983, but there was no world title awarded for the relay that year.
Just two men, Kim Ki-hoon (1992) and Kim Dong-sung (2002), have pulled off the feat.
After his 500m triumph on Saturday, Hungary's Shaoang Liu took the men's overall title after taking silver behind brother Shaolin Sandor Liu in the 1000m.
The men's 3000m Superfinal went to France's Sebastien Lepape, and the Dutch men ended proceedings with victory in the 5000m relay.
Schulting streets ahead
After winning the 1500m and 500m on Saturday, Schulting was fully expected to triumph in the 1000m.
She did not disappoint, going in front at the midway point and easily holding off Belgian Hanne DeSmet to take her third gold of the weekend and retain her overall World Championship crown.
Canada's Courtney Sarault added bronze to her 1500m silver.
Schulting completed her clean sweep of individual golds in the 3000m Superfinal.
After singlehandedly shutting down an attempted breakaway launched by Kristen Santos of the United States and settling back into the pack, the 23-year-old moved past Sofia Prosvirnova with three laps to go and never looked like being caught.
Sarault collected her second silver of the weekend which ensured she took overall silver with Selma Poutsma taking bronze.
Italy's Olympic gold medallist Arianna Fontana finished with overall bronze to go with her 500m silver from Saturday.
Schulting then led the Dutch women to their first ever relay title at the World Championships.
Poutsma, Yara van Kerkhof and Xandra Velzeboer left Schulting in front with two laps to go, and the "Grand Duchess of Short Track" brought it home.
France took the silver and Italy the bronze.
It capped a superb weekend for the Dutch, and for Schulting, although in Beijing next year she will be up against the cream of China, South Korea and Great Britain whose skaters missed the event due to COVID-19 concerns.
Shaolin Sandor Liu won his third world title in the 1000m, edging out brother Shaoang for victory.
Pietro Sieghel of Italy took his second bronze of the weekend with Saturday's 1500m winner Charles Hamelin running wide in his semi-final to lose his chance of a medal.
Sebastien Lepape claimed his first world crown in the 3000m Superfinal, making an early break with Itzhak de Laat and Shaolin Sandor Liu to lap the field.
The Frenchman then went on another attack with Dylan Hoogerwerf to put another lap on the field and secure the win.
De Laat took silver ahead of Shaolin Sandor Liu who won his second medal of the day.
That was not quite enough to see the Hungarian overhaul brother Shaoang who secured the overall title with Semen Elistratov of the Russian Skating Union taking bronze.
The Dutch men broke their duck in the final event of the weekend, the 5000m relay, with de Laat bringing home the gold after being put in position by Daan Breeuwsma, Sjinkle Knegt and Jens van 't Wout.
The Russian Skating Union crossed the line in second but were disqualified for a changeover infringement with Hungary promoted to silver and Italy to bronze.